Fire-extinguisher



(No Model.)

A. L. PITNBY.

PIRE EXTINGUISHBE. A No. 441,969. Pa'tentd Deo. 2, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT L. PITNEY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

Fl'RE-EXTINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. l41,969, dated December 2, 189.0.

Application led February 25, 1890, Serial No. 341, 642. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT L. PITNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extinguishers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear', and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. V v

My invention relates, generally, to lire-extinguishers, and particularly to that class thereof which are known as chemical lire-extinguisl1ers,which are operated by hand, and which contain compressed air or gas for the purpose of ejecting chemically-impregnated liquids upon fires. In this latter class of extinguishers, after they have been charged for some time,.it frequently happens that the air or gas has escaped therefrom, thus rendering 'them practically inoperative for forcing out tails of construction and arrangementor combination of parts, hereinafter fully disclosed in the description, drawings, and claims.

In theaccompanying drawings, forming part 'of this specification, in .which the same reference-numerals indicate the same parts, Figure 1 represents a central vertical section of a fire-extinguisher embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 a central longitudinal section of the inlet-valve for introducing liquid into the vessel and charging the same with compressed air or gas, and also for admitting` air into said vessel when the pump is in operation, said valve being shown in position in a portion of the upper head of said vessel.

VIn the drawings, l indicates the receptacle or vessel, which may be constructed of any convenient size and shape and also of any Suitable material which will withstand 4the internal pressure of the charge therein. In the present instance'this vessel is represented as a cylinder constructed of sheet metal and provided with sheet metal heads 2, which may be secured to iianges on the ends of said cylinder by ordinary lap-joints 3 or other suitable means, all joints and seams of the vessel being rendered air and gas tight, as far as is practicable, by solderingor other like fastening means.

Vithin the vessel l isv located a pump i, which may be of any suitable construction and arranged in any convenient location, it being in the present instance provided with a barrel Li', of cylindrical form, which is arranged axially or concentrically within said vessel. The upper end of this pump-barrel is provided with a collar 5, having an external flange 6, and screw-threads above said tia-nge. This collar is' seated in a central .opening in the upper head of the vessel, and

is confined therein by an external cap 7, which is internally screw-threaded and fitted over the extern ally-screw-threaded portion of said collar, so as to clamp the same tightly in its seat or opening and preventV any escape of the air or gas, a suitable washer being also employed to secure a tight joint. This cap is aiso provided with a central neck 8 upon its upper surface, which is screwthreaded eX- ternally, and over which is placed the rel cessed lower end 9 of ythe key l0, said recess being internally screw-threaded to engage the externally-screW-threaded neck S. This neck Vis also formed interiorly with vertical ducts or grooves 8', which, when the pump is in operation and the key 10 is raised or disconnected from said neck, permit the escape of the confined air from the pump-barrel as the piston is drawn upward, and also allow the air to be drawn into said pump-barrel as the piston is moved downward; also through said neck 8 passes the piston-rod ll, which eX- tends outside of the upper head of the vessel and has its upper end snitablyswiveled tothe key I0, so as to prevent turning of the piston and the consequent wear thereon. A washer 12 is interposed between the upper end ot the neck 8 and the upper wall of the recessed lower end 9 of the key 10, for the usual pur pose.

IOC

- end to a valve-casing The lowerI end of the pump-barrel 4; rests upon andis fastened to ashoulder12, formed on the outside ofthe valve-chamber 13, which is suitably fastened to the lower head ot the vessel and formed with inlet openings 1+i in its sides, which lead to its interior, and with an outlet-opening 15 in the center of its top or upper surface, which forms the seat of the tlap-valve 16. This valve is made of any suitable flexible material, and is secured to its seat by means of a headed bolt 17 and a nut 1S, which hold it at only one side and permit its b'ody portion to rise and fall. At-its center this valve is provided with a disk 19, which is provided with a screw-threaded neck 15) and a nut 19 on its under side for holding it in place upon said valve. This disk forms a bearing for the lower end of the piston-rod 11, which projects a short distance below the piston 2O and acts to hold'said valve irmly down upon its seat and against the upward pressure of the liquid when acted upon by the compressed air or gas within the vessel.

The piston 20, which may be of any of the ordinary or approved constructions, is secured to the piston-rod near its lower end in any convenient manner also, just above the valvecha'mber 13 and extending from the lower part ot` the pump-barrel is secured an elbowpipe 21, which is connected at its upturned 22, in which is placed a ball-valve 23,which normallyor when down rests upon the end of said pipe.

From the Valve-casing 22 extends a vertical discharge pipe 24, which projects up through an opening in the upper head of the vessel, where it terminates in a screw-threaded'end 25, to which a suitable hose or nozzle is to be attached; also, the upper portion of this pipe, just beneath lthe opening in said head, is provided with a flange or collar `26, which holds it in place and also prevents the escape ot air or gas from internal pressure.

, A iianged collar 27, having an internallyscrew-threaded aperture, is secured in another opening in the upper head ot' the vessel by means of another collar 2S, which is Iscrewed upon the neck of the collar 2T and bears down upon the upper surface ot` said head, which is thus clamped between said collars and very tightly closed around said opening. In the internally-screw-threaded aperture of this collar is secured an externally-screw-threaded valve-casing 29, which is formed with a central bore 29', within which is tted a plug-valve 30, which has a central vertical passage 31 in its upper portion anda short lateral passage '32 at one side of its center, with which the passages 3l and 32 can be made to communicate or register by turning the plug-valve 30 axially, so as to permit the introduction of the liquid and air or gas into the extinguisher, or the communication between said passages can be cut oft by turning said plug-valve so that its lateral passage 32 will be out of alignment with the passage 33 in the valve-casing; also, the passages in said valve and its casing are used, when desired, for admitting air into the vessel when the pump is in operation, so `as to secure the proper pressure upon the liquid.

For turning or adjusting the plug-valve it is provided near its upper end with a handlever or hand-wheel 34; also, at its upper end it is externally screw-threaded, as at 35, for the attachment of suitable connections for charging the vessel.

It is evident that the heads ot the vessel, instead ot being made of sheet metal, may be cast or made of other heavy metal and suitably secured to the ends of said vessel.

Under this construction the collars for con- Iining the pump-barrel, the discharge-pipe, and the inlet or plug valve may be dispensed with and replaced by threaded. openings formed directly in the upper head, which, by lessening the numberof joints eniployed,will also lessen the chances ot' the confined gas or air escaping. It is also evident that, if desired, the discharge-pipe can be extended out through the side of Ithe vessel instead of being projected through the upper head thereof, as shown.

The operation ot my invention can be readily understood t'rom the foregoing, but- I may further add that when the vessel is charged with the proper amount of liquid and compressed air or gas the lower end of the pistonrod will rest upon the disk 19 and hold the flap-valve 16 down upon its seat. The lower end of the piston-rod is held down upon said valve by the key 10 being screwed fully down on the neck S; but to allow vthe liquid to be automatically ejected from the vessel by the.

compressed air or gas therein said key has to be turned and raised slightly upon said IOO neck, so as to permit said valve to be opened by the pressure of the air or gas upon the liquid, which is then forced up through and out of the discharge-pipe 24. Vhen it is not desired to use compressed air or gas, or when there is notsuficient pressure thereof upon the liquid, the key is screwed entirely 0E the neck 8, thus permitting the piston and pistonrod to be reciprocated so as to admit the liquid into the valve-chamber 13 and through the valve 16 to force the same out through the elbow-pipe 21 and the valve-casing 22 and to discharge it through the pipe 211. During the operation of the pump a sufficient amount of air is admitted through the ducts S into its barrel to secure its proper action.

Having thus fully described my invention, its capabilities, advantages, and operation, I claim as new- 1. In a fire-extinguisher, the combination, with a vessel for containing liquid and air or gas under pressure, a pump located in said vessel and secured at its upper end to the upper head thereof, and a valve communicating with said pump, of means for regulating the opening and closing of said valve, the same consisting of the lower end of a piston-rod and screw-threaded devices arranged at its IIO upper end and outside of said vessel for raising and lowering seid rod, substantially es' the opening and closing of seid valve, said means consisting of the lowerend of a pist-onrod and escrew-threaded neck and key at its upper end for raising and lowering it, substantially and for the purpose described.

3. In a fire-extinguisher, the combination, with a vessel for containing' liquid and a pumplocated in said vessel and provided with a piston-rod having its upper end extended outside of the head of said vessel, of a flanged and externallyQscleW-threaded collar secured to the upper end of the barrel of said pump and in the upper head of said vessel, en internally-screw-threaded cap tted to said collar and provided with an upwardly-projecting screw-threaded neck, and a key secured to the upper end of said pistou-rod and provided with an annularly-recessed and internelly-screw-threeded lower end, substen tially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a lire-extinguisher, the combination, with a, vessel for containing liquid, and a pump located in said vessel and provided with a valve-chamber and flap-valve at the lower end of its barrel and with a piston-rod extended below its piston, of a flanged and externallyscrewmhreaded collar secured to the upper end of the barrel of seid pump and in the upper head of seid vessel, an internally-screw-threeded cap fitted to said collar and provided with an upwardly-projecting screw-threaded neck, a key secured to the upper end of seid piston-rod and provided .with an annularlymecessed and internally-screwthreaded lower end which is fitted over said neck, and a discharge-pipe communicating with said pump, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. y

ALBERT L. PITNEY.

Witnesses:

' TOM R. STUART, J. M. POLLARD. 

